Sewing machine



March 23, 1937. E. PRAZ/AK 2,074,488

SEWING MACHINE March 23, i937. EA PRAZAK 2,974,488

SEWING MACHINE Filed April 3o, 1935 5 shets-sheet 2' INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 23, 1937. El PRAZAK 2,074,488

SEWING MACHINE Filed April 30, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 l IHIl "my" a; 7 'ATTORNEY March 23, 1937. E. PRAZAK 2,074,488 v SEWING MACHINE Filed April 30, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 23, 1937. E. PRAZAK 2,074,488

SEWING MACHINE Filed April 30, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 23, 1937 Unire smits FATENT GFFiCE Claims.

This invention relates, generally to improvements in sewing machines, and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel improved sewing machine especially adapted for applying 5 a chenille or other edging to powder puffs or other circular articles.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel automatic rotary feeding and control means in combination with the l@ stitching mechanism of a sewing machine, together with mechanism for producing an intermittently zigzag lock stitch, whereby two or more layers of material making up a powder pu or the like are stitched together and a chenille is 1,3 simultaneously sewn to the periphery of the powder puff to serve as an ornamental edging having a scalloped appearance.

Other objectsv of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the novel improved sewing machine of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a part sectional view taken along line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken along line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the initial step in placing a powder puff blank in the machine.

Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 6 but illustrates the final step in placing a powder puff blank in the machine.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view with parts broken away illustrating the manner of feeding the powder puff blanks while stitching.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but shows in addition mechanism for producing the intermittent zigzag stitch that secures the chenille to the powder puff blank.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan View illustrating the needle passing outwardly of the chenille.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but shows the needle drawing the chenille in toward the powder puff blank.

Fig. 12 shows the needle returned to its normal line of stitching after having drawn in the che- 55 nille to the powder puff blank.v

Fig. 13 is a plan view illustrating the cutting of the chenille upon the completion of the powder Duff.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a complete powder puff.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary plan view of the feeding mechanism.

Fig. 16 is a View in elevation illustrating the relative positions of the powder puff blank and operating parts in the machine.

Fig. 17 is-a view in elevation illustrating the feding mechanism during its return movement, and

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line I8-I8 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 19 is a detail View.

Referring now to the said drawings, the reference numeral I designates the bed-plate of a rotary motion lock stitch sewing machine 2 embodying the novel improvements of the present invention. The arm 3 mounted on bed-plate I has the usual main or head shaft 4 journaled thereon, the same being driven by a suitable belt (not shown) adapted to be moved onto the pulley 5 fixed on shaft 4. An eccentric E on main shaft 4 drives the pitman 'I for effecting vertical reciprocation of the needle bar 8 carrying the needle 9. A belt I0 driven from shaft 4 drives shaft II that acts through gearing I2 to drive the rotary hook I3 for forming the lock stitch. Main shaft 4 has eccentrics thereon for driving pitmans I4 and I5 which in turn oscillate shafts IS and Il', respectively, extending below base plate I. Shafts I6 and I1 carry cranks I8 and I9, respectively, for giving a link 20 (see Figs. 8 and 9) a compound motion, which link carries the feed-bar 2| and causes this feed-bar to have the usual four motion feed, all as is well known to those skilled in the art.

According to the preferred construction, instead of having the usual rectangular feed member attached to the feed bar 2|, I provide a circular, horizontal disk like feed member 22 (see especially Figs. 4, 8, 9, 15, 16, and 17) that is operated with an oscillatory, four movement feed motion by the feed bar 2I. The under Surface of feed member 22 has a bracket 23 attached thereto which bracket is provided with a downwardly offset arm 24 for receiving the free end portion of feed bar 2l between the same and the under surface of the disk of feed member 22. Arm 24 has a bifurcation 25 in its free end portion for receiving a pin 26 depending from the feed bar 2 I, whereby reciprocating movements of the feed bar are caused to produce oscillatory movements of the feed member 22 as will further appear.

The feed member 22 is provided with a central hub 21 depending from its disk like portion, which hub has a reduced lower portion 28 journaled in a bearing 29 carried by an arm 39 fixed to the posts 3l depending from bed-plate 1. The disk portion of feed member 22 is located within an aperture 32 provided in the bed-plat-e l and has a plurality of upwardly extending and angularly spaced arcuate lugs 33 disposed annularly and adjoining the p-eriphery of the feed member disk portion. Although four of the lugs 33 areY shown in the drawings, it is to be understood that a greater or lesser number of these lugs may be provided on the feed member. The lugs 33 extend upwardly into arcuate slots 34 provided in a horizontal plate 35 fixed upon the top of bedplate l, the slots 3d having a greater angular extent than the lugs 33 to allow oscillatory movement of the feed member.

The upper surfaces of lugs 33 are serrated for engaging and turning a feed disk 38 preferably of copper or other suitable stiff material which i' disk has a central depending pin 92 journaled in a central bearing aperture provided in the plate 39 and in the upper portion of feed member 22. The feed disk 38 is adapted to support and rotate with an intermittent motion the powder puff blank 39 (see Figs. 8, 9, and 16) or other desired disk like article to which an edging'or border of chenille or other material is to be attached. The powder puif blank 39 is illustrated as consisting of two disks 49 and lll of suitable felt like or other material, which disks are to be sewn together with a lock stich during the operationof attaching the edging or border to the blank 39.

It is to be understood that the blank 39 may consist of more than two disks, if desired, or may only consist of but a single disk. The blank 39 is of somewhat larger diameter than the feed member 22, so that the needle 9 will clear the latter during the stitching operation.

The blank 39 is adapted to be retained in proper central positionupon the feed disk 38 duringstitching by means of a disk shaped presser foot 93 having an upstanding hub M provided with'a reduced upper portion mounted for rotatingvabout a Vertical aXis within a bearing bracket carried by the vertically movable foot bar 49. The upper end of foot bar 46 is carried by the end of a lever 41 pivoted at 48 upon a post i9 fixed on arm 3. The other end of lever 91 is adapted to be actuated by a depending link 59 that is connected at its lower end through suitable lever means (not shown) for operation by the knee of the user. A coil tension spring 31, connected between lever 41 and arm 3, serves to hold the presser foot 93 down upon the goods or blank 39 during the operation of the machine, thereby holding the blank 39 in place on feed disk 38.

The mechanism used for producing the intermittent zigzag stitching that serves to attach the chenille 5l or other -edging or border to the periphery of blank 39 comprises a worm 52 xed on main shaft 4l and driving a worm wheel 53 xed on a shaft 59 carrying a cylindrical cam 55. Cam 55 is provided with a cam groove 59 that is of uniform radius except at two diametrically opposite points 51 at which points the radius of the cam groove is enlarged somewhat. A roller 58 rides in cam groove 59 and is carried by the free endof a lever 59 that has its hub xed on one end portion of a shaft 69 that is journaled in a bearing bracket Sl'fxed on arm 3.

The other end portion of shaft 69 has a slotted crank 92 attached thereto, to which crank one end of a link 63 is adjustably connected by a wing screw Sli. The other end of link 63 is connected by a pivotal screw 5d to the lower portion of the needle bar holder 95 that is pivoted at its upper portion, i. e., at 96 upon the arm 3. The needle bar 8 is journaled in vertical bearings 61 and 68 provided on needle bar holder 95. The cam 55 is so positioned angularly on shaft 59 that lever 59, acting through shaft 99, crank 92 and link 59, serves to move needle bar holder 95, while above the blank or goods 39, to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, so that the needle 9 is moved from its normal stitching position shown in Figs. l and 8 to the position shown in Fig. 9.

The throw or amount of this transverse movement of the needle 9 may be varied by adjusting the position of the end of link 63 along crank 62, i. e., by loosening screw 54 and setting the same at any desired position along crank 92. 'I'he gearing 52-53 is such as to cause every fifth descent of needle 9 to take place in its offset position shown in Fig. 9, thereby producing two zigzag stitches after each group of three regular stitches as will further-appear. By changing the ratio of gearing 52-53 the number cf regular stitches between each succeeding pair of zigzag stitches may be varied at will.

As especially illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7, means is provided for quickly and accurately centering the blank 39 in use upon the feed disk 36. This means comprises complementary levers 19 and 19 that are fixed upon gear segments 1I and 1i', which gear segments are turnably mounted upon spaced screws 12 secured to the plate 39. Gear segments 1l and 1| mesh with one another so that movement of lever 19, as by manually pressing upon its finger piec-e 12, causes a corresponding movement of lever 10. These levers carry semi-annular guide members 13 having an internal radius equal to the radius of powder pui blank 39, the said members 13 being adapted to register with one another as shown in Fig. 7 when the finger piece 12 is pushed rearwardly, thereby forming a ring concentric with the axis of feed disk 38. The members 13 of levers 19 and 19 are normally held apart by the action of a tension spring 'l1` interconnecting the inner end portions of levers 19 and 10.

The chenille 5i, fed from a ball or roll (not shown), is adapted to pass through a suitable tubular guide 14 having a supporting arm 15 that is adjustably carried by a bracket 19. Guide 1li serves to position the free end of the chenille adjacent the blank 39 and needle 9. A shear blade 18 (see Figs. 1 and 18) is pivoted upon a screw 19 positioned below plate 36 and projects upwardly through a slot 83 in plate 35. A spring 19 is connected at its lower end to the machine frame and has its upper end attached to shear blade 18 for normally holding this blade in its raised or open position. A chain 89 connected to suitable linkage Bl (not shown) is adapted to pull downwardly upon an arm 82 of shear blade 19 upon the application of knee pressure to the linkage 8l, thereby causing shear blade 18 to turn downwardly and cooperate with the edge of slot 83 to shear off the chenille as will further appear.

In use, in order to place a powder puff blank 39 in the machine, the knee lifter linkage connected to link 50 is pressed by the right knee to effect the raising of the presser foot 93, and with the needle 9 up and the feed member 22 in its lower position, shown in Fig. 17 the blank 39 is placed upon plate 36 as shown in Fig. 6, whereupon the linger piece 12 is pushed rearwardly causing levers 'l0 and 19 to move into the positions shown in Fig. '7, thereby centering the blank 39 upon the feed disk 38. The presser foot 43 is then dropped upon blank 39 and with the free end portion of the chenille positioned adjacent this blank 39, the machine may be started, causing the feed bar 2| to go through its well known four-motion feed illustrated by the arrows in Fig. v16.

Thus, as this bar 2l raises from its position shown in Fig. 17 to its position shown in Fig. 16, it also raises feed member 22 causing lugs 33 to move upwardly through arcuate slots 3d in plate 35 so that the serrated upper ends of these lugsl engage and raise the feed disk 38 off of plate 33. The feed bar 2l now moves toward the right as viewed in Fig. 16, thereby acting through pin 2B and bracket Z3 to turn feed member 22 toward right, or counterclockwise as shown by the arrow in Fig. 15, the lugs 33 moving in slots 3d.

This movement of feed member 22 causes a similar movement of feed disk 38 and of the 'i thereafter cause another forward feeding movement of this disk, etc. The motion which carries the blank or goods 39 forward is so timed as to take place while the needle 9 is raised above the blank 39, and never interferes with the passage of the needle. Thus, the feed disk 38 and the blank 39 are advanced or rotated with an intermittent motion which in practice may be very rapid. t

At regular intervals, the zigzag stitching mechanism causes needle 9 to move transversely as illustrated in Fig. 9 so that the needle descends externally of the chenille 5l thereby securing the latter at regularly spaced points by lock stitches to the periphery of blank 39. This action is illustrated in Figs. 10 to 12, wherein the needle 9 is shown making three regular lock stitches, whereupon the next two lock stitches are zigzag stitches that draw the chenille 5I tight against the periphery of blank 39, thereby causing this blank and the chenille attached thereto to have an attractive scalloped appearance, as illustrated in Figs. 10 to 14. If the chenille were attached by a regular zigzag stitch to the periphery of the blank 39 this attractive scalloped appearance would be lost and the finished article would have a plain circular appearance. As previously indicated, the number of regular stitches produced between the intermittent pairs of zigzag stitches may be varied at will by varying the ratio of gearing 52-53. Also various widths of chenille or other edging may be attached by adjusting screw 64 along the slotted crank 62.

The turning of blank 39 effects the feeding of the chenille 5| and when this chenille has been attached completely around the periphery of the powder puff blank, the machine is stopped, the presser foot 43 is raised and blank 39 removed by turning the same into the position shown in Fig. 19, the blank with the chenille attached being retained between the thumb and linger of the left hand. A new blank 33 is now inserted, the presser foot dropped, and the machine again started, and as the new blank is fed or turned around with the machine stitching the chenille intermittently thereto, the operator moves the blank and attached chenille held in his left hand from the position shown in Fig. 19 to that shown in Fig. 13, in which position he inserts the portion of the chenille joining the two blanks under the shear blade 'E8 and operates this blade by knee pressure to sever the chenille, thereby completing the powder puff held in his left hand.

In practice these powder puffs may be turned out very rapidly and they are not only very attractive, but appear to have been hand sewn, thereby enhancing their value. A completed powder puff is shown in Fig. 14. They may be made up in any thickness desired, depending upon the number of layers of material present in the blank 39. In sewing some types of material, i. e. those having little fluff or lint, the feed disk 38 may be omitted, in which case the material being sewn rests directly upon the serrated tops of the lugs 33 of the feed member 22. Feed disk 38 prevents fluff or other foreign material from getting down between lugs 33 and the edges of arcuate slots 34, which material would tend to interfere with the operation of the feeding mechanism.

As many changes couldV be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, as defined by the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. In combination, a sewing mechanism including a vertically reciprocable sewing needle, intermittently rotatable material feeding means operative to turn said material under said needle while the latter is raised, whereby regular stitches are produced in said material extending along a circular path, means for supplying an edging adjacent the periphery of said material, and intermittently operable means for moving said needle transversely outwardly over said edging while the needle is raised and for moving said needle transversely inwardly against said edging while the needle is lowered to thereby press said edging against the periphery of said material, whereby said edging is secured to and indented against the periphery of said material at intervals separated by groups of regular stitches in the material.

2. In combination, a lock stitch sewing mechanism including a vertically reciprocable sewing needle, angularly turnable material feeding means operative to turn said material under said needle while the latter is raised, whereby regular stitches are produced in said material extending along a circular path, a rotatable presser foot for retaining said material in position on said feeding means, means for supplying an edging adjacent the periphery of said material, and means operable, after a group consisting of a predetermined number of regular stitches have been produced in said material, to move said needle transversely outwardly over said edging while the needle is raised and to move said needle transversely inwardly on the subsequent lowering of the needle, whereby the needle serves to secure said edging to and indent the same against the periphery of said material, said means serving to move said needle inwardly over said edging upon the subsequent rise of said needle preparatory to forming another group of regular stitches, the thusly in- 5 termittently attached edging having a scalloped appearance.

3. In combination, a lock stitch sewing mechanism including a vertically reciprocable sewing needle, angularly turnable material feeding lo ineens, means for centering disk shaped material upon said feeding means, said feeding means being operative to turn said material in successive Steps under said needle while the latter is successively raised, whereby regular stitches are produced in said material extending along a circular path, a rotatable presser foot for retaining sai-d material in position on said feeding means, means for supplying an edging adjacent the periphery of said material, and means operable after a 2G group consisting of a predetermined number of regular stitches have been produced, to move said needle radially outwardly over said edging while the needle is raised and then downwardly and .inwardly against the edging, so that the descent of the 'needle will press the edging against and secure the same to the periphery of said material, said means serving to return said needle back over said edging to its normal position after the needle has again been raised, preparatory to forming another group of regular stitches.

4. In a sewing machine, material feeding mechanism comprising a feed element having a disk shaped feeding portion, and means for advancing said feed element with an intermittent rotary motion, said means comprising a feed member having mutually spaced upstanding lugs for engaging said feed element at angularly spaced points all around its turning axis, said feed member having a combined oscillatory and vertical 4U movement, and a four motion feed bar connected to feed member for actuating the latter.

5. In a sewing machine, material feeding mechanism comprising a feed element having a fiat upper disk shaped surface for supporting the 45 material to be sewn, an apertured plate supporting said feed element, a rotatable feed member below said plate and having angularly spaced lugs thereon projecting upwardly into the apertures of said plate, and four motion feed means for actu- 50 ating said feed member, whereby the same is firstly raised so that said lugs lift said feed element olf said plate, secondly turned thereby advancing said feed element, thirdly lowered so that said feed element again rests on said plate,

55 and fourthly turned backward, thereby returning said feed member to its initial position.

6. In a sewing machine, a circular feed element, and means for positioning a disk shaped material blank on said feed element, said means com- 60 prising complementary levers carrying normally spaced complementary semi-circular guide members, and gearing mechanism interconnecting said levers, whereby when said levers are actuated said 'guide members cooperate to position the material blank centrally upon Said feed element.

7. In a sewing machine, a circular feed element, and means for positioning a disk shaped material blank on said feed element, said means comprising complementary levers carrying complementary semi-annular guide members on their outer end portions, said levers being secured intermediate their lengths upon intermeshing gear egments, and a spring interconnecting the inner end portions of said levers, whereby said guide members are normally held apart, the moving of the outer end of one lever toward the other causing said guide members to move into registry with one another and effect movement of the material blank centrally onto said feed element.

8. In a sewing machine, material feeding mechanism comprising, a rotatable feed member having a disk shaped upper portion, a plate overlying said feed member and having arcuate apertures therein, angularly spaced arcuate lugs projecting upwardly from the disk shaped upper portion of said feed member into said arcuate apertures, said lugs having serrated upper surfaces for feeding material supported on said plate.

9. In a sewing machine, material feeding meehanism comprising, a rotatable feed member having a disk shaped upper portion, a plate overlying said feed member and having arcuate apertures therein, arcuate lugs of lesser angular extent than said apertures projecting upwardly from the disk shaped upper portion of said feed member into said arcuate apertures, said lugs having serrated upper surfaces for feeding material supported on said plate, and four motion feed means for actuating said feed member, whereby the same is firstly raised so that the tops of said lugs engage an-d raise the material slightly above said plate, secondly turned, thereby advancing said material, thirdly lowered, thereby again supporting the vmaterial on said plate, and fourthly turned backward, whereby the feedamember is returned to its initial position.

l0. In combination, a lock stitch sewing mechanism including a v rtically reciprocable sewing needle, intermittently rotatable material feeding means operative to turn said material under said needle while the latter is raised, whereby regular stitches are produced in said material extending along a circular path, means for supplying an edging strip adjacent the periphery of said material, intermittently operable means for zigzagging said needle over said edging said needle serving to press said edging inwardly whereby the latter is secured in indented position at spaced points to the periphery of said material by zigzag stitches alternating with groups of regular stitches, and means for shearing the thusly attached edging from the edging strip.

EMIL PRAZAK. 

